Carter Brothers: One Shots

Eli and Ivy: Paving the way

Eli & Ivy: Paving the way

Over the sound of the hoover the phone on the coffee table ringing was going amiss. Sweeping around, Ivy only catches the call by chance. Immediately ceasing the noise of the vacuum, she calls up to Eli from the foot of the stairs. With him being in the shower, her cries go unanswered and knowing the call will be dropped soon, Ivy makes the split decision to answer. She doesn't feel too much guilt over it, after all they're engaged. She knows his pórn history for God's sake, what else is there to hide?

"Hello," she chirps.

"Yes, hello. Is Mr. Eli Carter available?" asks a prim proper voice.
Ivy's eyebrows scrunch as she tries to think who Eli would know like that apart from off course Adrian. But she knows Adrian's voice and this is not him.
"Um, not currently but I can take a message, if you'd like," she offers.
"Sure. This is John Burges from the HR department of Harrington IT Solutions and we're delighted to offer Mr. Carter the recent position of software test analyst."
"Uh..." Ivy's at a loss for words. What the hell? Is this a prank or the wrong number?
"So please tell Mr. Carter we'll be expecting him Monday morning 9.30am sharp where my colleague Denise will be there to meet him and help settle him in."
"Er...right. Sure thing."
"Thank you Ma'am."
"Thank you too."

Still stunned, Ivy hangs up, her feet moving her up the stairs to the bedroom where Eli's tugging on a pair of jeans.

"Babe, gonna be.." he cuts himself off, catching the strange expression on Ivy's face.
"Hey, Tinks. Everything okay?" he asks cautiously moving towards her.
She steps back in time to his advancing steps, back hitting the wall as pain lashes through her.
How could he not tell her he wanted to change jobs? How could he not tell her he had an interview? And more importantly where the fúck was he going at nights in that case? Oh, and does the rest of his family know?

"I don't know. You tell me," she retorts, "where have you been going at nights, Eli?"
Eli has a split moment of confusion before realization dawns on him that she's somehow found out that he's thinking of quitting the club.
"Tinks, look. I'm just thinking about leaving the club. Nothing's been set yet. Jake said-"

"Yeah? And when were you going to let me in on your plans? We're getting married for God's sake! Goals, hopes, dreams are what people that are getting married share with each other Eli. How could you have left me out of the loop on such an important decision in your life?-"

"Woah, woah woah! Ivy, I said I'm just thinking about leaving-"

"Really? Is that why you took that interview then? Is that why they're offering you a job?"

"What? They called back? They're giving me a job?"
His mood is changed instantly to cheerful, the joy ringing through his voice. And even Ivy softens with that.
"Yeah, you got it," she gently states before telling herself to shake it off and harden again.
"But what I don't get is you keeping this from me."

Eli's shoulders straighten as he repeats, "you don't get it?"

Green eyes of the woman he loves flash bright with anger and hurt as she states resoundingly, "no."
"Baby....you've got an education."
What? Ivy's eyebrows scrunch in confusion as she wonders what on earth that has anything to do with it. So what? She'd just managed to complete an online course transferring the rest of her credits to finish her business degree but Eli had been all for it. In fact, he'd been the one to suggest it when Ivy had all but given up on it.
And he's no slouch either. He has his high school diploma, his grades although not the best is passing. At least that's what he's told her and regardless, he's smart. Sometimes his sharpness can be her downfall actually.

"So?"

"So, babe. Don't think this should come as a surprise to you but people don't want to hire someone with just passing grades in high-school and a background managing a séx club."
"Eli-"

"Struggled just to get this interview, Tinks. Reason I didn't tell you I wanted to change careers is because I didn't know what I'd be able to do if I did. What can I do?"

With his explanation Ivy melts in understanding. Poor baby was embarrassed. The spot of vulnerability in the normally confident, cocky man is something Ivy had no idea about and wants to all hell protect.
"You should have let me in on that Eli," she sighs hand on his bicep, "not much I would have been able to do but things like that we share the burden. The good times and the bad, the disappointments and the achievements. We face it together."
His hand reaches for her face, fingers delving into the bob cut blonde strands as he cups her cheek.
"Yeah...I get that now. I'm sorry baby," he whispers pulling her closer.

"Okay but for the record, the small fúck ups I can deal with. But not things this big, okay?"

"Got it," he smiles lips pressing to hers before she can throw in some more of that attitude of hers.
Though she did have good reason now, even he can admit that, but now they're good and it's over.

"So are you going to take the job? What about the club?" she asks pulling back from the kiss.

"I wanna take it, yes. It'd mean daylight working hours which'd be better for when we have kids too.-"
Ivy's brain is stuck on that. When. When we have kids.
"-Jake says he's going to take on the club. I've been showing him what to do recently though all he needed to know was the paperwork. Can already see this is going to be better for the club anyway. Jake, he's, got loads of ideas and actually enjoys the work. So when I tell him, I reckon Ade's going to be happier with it too. Um, Ivy? Tinks, you listening to me?" 

"When."
"What babe?"
Ivy blinks up at him, the wetness in her eyes barely contained, "you said, when we have kids."
"Don't you want children?"
Ivy barely manages to nod before she manages to choke out, "how many?"
"How many are you willing to push out for me?"
Her breath catches.
She'd stupidly thought that the subject of children would be one that she would have to broach upon him with extreme caution and even then she'd thought it would be a challenge to convince him to give her one kid.
All wrong.
She should have known. His playful nature, he'd be excellent with children.

"We have to have at least 2. Siblings are important," she states making him grin his crooked smile.

"Damn straight. Now that that's decided. We better get all the practice in for the real deal."
With that Eli picks up his tiny, lightweight fiancée and drops her onto the bed. Climbing in straight after her.
"Eli!" she gasps, "it's 10 in the morning and I need to be getting to diner soon."
"I'm sure the boss won't mind and if he does you can always come up with some sort of creative compensation."

She rolls her eyes having heard it all before. He doesn't play the owner card a lot but when he does it's always for some morning loving. Or afternoon. Or evening. Or mid-day. Or...

"You are-"
And with that he kisses the words right off her lips. Before long, it's not words she's so much as saying as moaning.